Puerto Rico: 2 Dead After Shootout Between Drug Traffickers and Federal Agents

U.S. federal agents engaged several drug traffickers off the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico early Sunday morning. This resulted in a shootout that led to the deaths of at least two people.

The shootout transpired shortly after midnight when authorities detected a suspicious boat at sea, U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman Jeffrey Quiñones told the Associated Press.

Federal agents quickly scrambled and chased the boat, but the suspected drug traffickers opened fire at the federal agents. The ensuing firefight resulted in the deaths of two suspected drug traffickers, as well as the arrest of four others. No federal agent was reportedly injured in the incident.

There were six suspects in total, including the two people killed. Authorities have not yet revealed their nationalities.

FBI Investigating Deadly Shootout in Puerto Rico

Those in the suspicious boat were reportedly transporting drugs when they were discovered off Puerto Rico, as Quiñones stated that federal agents were able to find illegal drugs in the boat, as well as in the water. However, the CBP spokesperson did not provide any further details.

This has led the FBI to investigate the incident, but a spokeswoman for the Bureau did not immediately return a message for comment, according to ABC News.

Federal authorities have been intercepting more and more drug shipments in Puerto Rico, including over $5 million worth of cocaine intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard in July, as well as $26 million worth of cocaine being seized by federal agents in October of last year.

U.S. authorities also captured a cargo load full of illegal drugs worth $9 million back in December. The boat was under routine inspection in San Juan, the capital of the U.S. territory, when it was discovered that it was carrying cocaine.

Intercepting Drug Smugglers Off Puerto Rico Becoming More Violent

This latest shootout between U.S. authorities and suspected drug traffickers happened just two months after another deadly shootout. However, unlike this one, where no federal agent was injured, the November shootout resulted in the death of one Customs and Border Protection agent.

In that engagement, one CBP operative was killed while two other government agents were wounded, according to Homeland Security Today. Meanwhile, one of the suspected smugglers was also killed.

The suspected vessel was spotted 14 miles off the coast of Cabo Rojo when the CBP's Air and Marine Operations unit approached it. However, the two people aboard the suspected drug smuggling vessel opened fire, resulting in a gun battle between the two sides.

After the shootout, CBP agents once again intercepted a different vehicle, this time nabbing two more suspects. They also managed to find a cache of weapons in this other boat.

A CBP report released last October revealed that overall cocaine seizures have risen to around 104 percent. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has already admitted during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing that it is already a "dangerous time," and added that incidents such as these are "an unfortunate example of that."

READ MORE: CBP Agent Dies After Shootout in Puerto Rico

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Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: U.S. Customs Officer Killed In Shootout With Suspected Drug Smugglers In Puerto Rico - CBS MIAMI